This invention relates to security mechanisms for electronic and other devices and in particular to a security mechanism for computers, firearms, cellular telephones, and the like which can be activated and deactivated simply by moving the device correctly according to a preselected xe2x80x9cmotion passwordxe2x80x9d.
Traditional passwords, personal identification numbers (PINs) and other unique identifiers are often used to prevent unauthorized access to computers and other electronic devices.
Passwords and PINs, however, are sometimes forgotten thus preventing authorized personnel from accessing their own computers when needed. In other cases, the passwords and PINs are written down negating the confidentiality which is supposed to be associated with them.
Worse, the use of passwords and PINs do not adequately protect against theft of computers, especially portable computers (e.g., laptops and personal data assistants) and other portable electronic devices (e.g., cellular telephones) which, when stolen, can still often be used by bypassing or deciphering the password or PIN. Moreover, standard password and PIN protection schemes typically require that the electronic device be powered on in order to enter the password or PIN.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a motion password control system that utilizes a different kind of xe2x80x9cpasswordxe2x80x9d to prevent unauthorized uses and theft of electronic devices.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a system which overcomes the security problems associated with traditional passwords, personal identification numbers, and other unique identifiers.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a system which can be configured to prevent unauthorized access to portable electronic devices and/or which prevents theft of portable electronic devices.
It is a further object of this invention to provide such a system which includes its own power source and thus does not require that the electronic device be powered on in order to enter the xe2x80x9cmotion passwordxe2x80x9d and thereby operates both when the electronic device is on and when it is off.
This invention results from the realization that the problems associated with typed in passwords, personal identification numbers, and other unique identifiers including the security, memory, and theft problems associated therewith can be overcome by a chip set integratable with a device such as a laptop computer and which includes an accelerometer, a processor, and a memory, wherein the database of the memory includes a set of coordinate values corresponding to authorized movement of the computer (a xe2x80x9cmotion passwordxe2x80x9d) and the accelerometer, in combination with the processor, actively detects whether the user has moved the computer according to the motion password and, in response, either arms or disarms the security subsystem and/or an alarm accordingly.
This invention features a motion password control system comprising a motion sensor responsive to motion of a device and providing a signal corresponding to movement of the device; a database including stored data values corresponding to predetermined motion of the device; and an electronic circuit, responsive to the motion sensor, configured to compare the motion sensor signal with the stored database values, and, in response, to provide an output signal for performing at least one action of a preselected set of actions when the comparison reveals that the device has moved in a way which corresponds to the stored data values.
In one embodiment, the database includes data corresponding to a set of discrete orientations of the device and the electronic circuit further includes a timer and means for determining whether any movement of the device matches the set of orientations within predetermined time periods. In another embodiment, the database includes motion data indicative of an authorized path of movement.
The motion sensor is typically an accelerometer, the database may be resident in a memory device such as a programmable read only memory, and the electronic circuit may be embodied in a microcontroller.
The device may be a computer, cellular telephone, firearm, or other valuable or electronically controllable item. Typically, the system further includes an audible alarm subsystem responsive to the output signal of the electronic circuit. The audible alarm subsystem typically includes an audible alarm and means for arming and disarming the audible alarm subsystem in response to the output signal and means for activating the audible alarm when the audible alarm subsystem is armed and movement of the device does not match the database values. In some instances, the device may also include an electronic access locking subsystem and one preselected action is to change the state of the electronic access locking subsystem. If the device is a firearm with a firing locking mechanism, one of the predetermined set of actions is to change the state of the firing locking mechanism.
The electronic circuit may further be configured to prompt a user of the device to enter a motion password and to store the entered movement data values in the database.
This invention also features a method of controlling a device. The method includes sensing movement of the device, storing, in a database, values corresponding to predetermined motions of the device, comparing any motion of the device with the stored database values and, in response, providing an output signal for performing at least one action of a preselected set of actions when the comparison reveals that the device has moved in a way which corresponds to the stored data values.
The database typically includes data corresponding to a set of discrete orientations and the method then further includes determining whether any movement of the device matches the set of orientations within predetermined time periods. In other embodiments, the database includes motion data indicative of an authorized path of movement.
If the device includes an audible alarm subsystem including an audible alarm, the method may further include arming and disarming the audible alarm subsystem in response to the output signal and activating the audible alarm when the audible alarm subsystem system is armed and any movement of the device does not match the database values. If the device includes an electronic access locking mechanism, the method may further include allowing access when the movement of the device matches the database values. If the device is a firearm with a trigger locking mechanism, one of the predetermined set of actions is typically disarming the trigger locking mechanism. The method may also include prompting a user of the device to enter a motion password and storing the movement data values in the database.